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Grosgrain Archives

October 19, 2008

Oh, where to begin? Well, let me start off by saying that this was by far the most ambitious dress I've ever sewn. After this, I have fewer qualms about sewing a wedding gown. With all the man hours I put into the gown itself, not withstanding the fabric, I would say this gown is worth $500....if my time was worth $15 an hour. You can do the math. Like I said...ambitious. At least I knew what I was getting into from the beginning.

I fell in love with the idea of doing a french 1700s piece after watching Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. Each candy pink and blue scene made my heart ache and it was all I could think of since. It feels good to finally get all that inspiration out in one big frilly burp.

I spared no expense with this costume. Homemade florets cover the under skirt and creep up along the bodice. I found the blue and black trim at my favorite niche fabric store. It was exactly what I was looking for. I paired it with the pink satin ribbon. A whole SEVEN YARDS worth!!!!

What took a chunk of my time was the smocking in the over skirt. You can see a more detailed image near the bottom. I stitched each and every one of the knots myself.

The satin ribbon was also used around the sleeves and tied off with a long flowing bow. As you can see I added a long lace material to the ends of the 3/4 length sleeves and around the neckline.

Sadly, the neatest part of this gown can't even be seen. That is the historical underpinnings. Yes, I made one of those corsets that bulge out at the sides. I used 'boning' but if I had to do it again I'd use good old fashioned metal. The boning didn't exactly cut it. The dress is a bit heavy but I had to keep fluffing the sides which shouldn't have been necessary.

All you Marie Antoinette voters were so very close. Please don't be confused by the Marie Therese reference. I could have gone with Marie Antoinette but that is so cliche right? Marie Therese was her only daughter. When I watched the movie the little girl reminded me of Lily so I thought she would be more appropriate.

And YES! That is Lily's real hair! (plus a few Photoshopped curls). I thought it would be harder to poof but you would be surprised what magical results simple hairspray can accomplish. We used Halloween white spray for the color. Lily was pretty good about the whole thing. Taking it out was another story.

Poor Lily, she's had a runny nose for a while now, you can sort of see from the photos that she has a chapped upper lip. I kept having to wipe her nose on my sleeves mid-shoot.I know I say this so often, but this WILL be heartbreaking for me to part with. As with the previous giveaway, I only hope that it goes to someone who can get good use out of it!

If the winning blogger also leaves a comment I will include the rose choker in the giveaway.

And a special thank you to the reader who recommended me to Craft blog for my handkerchief post. I was so flattered! This costume is BIG. So I would say it could fit a 3T-5T.

Last day for posts is Friday 10/24/08.Winnerwill be announced Sunday morning! Just in time to get this to you by HALLOWEEN!!!!

As usual, if you would like a chance to win this costumejust link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

holy cow!!!! i love this, you are so talented!i don't know where you come up with these ideas!! i just love everything you come up with.... too bad my baby is only 16 monthes old, so i won't enter to win.... awesome job!!

This is ABSOLUTELY stunning!! I can't believe you're giving it away! I would kill (well, not really) to be able to sew this well. You should be super proud of yourself. Linking it to my blog right now. Still can't believe you're giving it away for free!!! :)

Wow!! This is realy a piece of work were i have to react on. I already follow your blog a couple of month but is didnt give myself the time to give a comment. I live in Indonesia, so you have admirerers all over the world ;-).. Your blog made me sew myself again. Thanx!!!I have a blog myself, but i have to figure out how i can get a link for u on my blog.

So what i wanna say in short: i love your creative and beautyful creations!

Wow!!! Kathleen this is beautiful-- what I love the most is the time you spend dressing Lily up and finding the perfect location for your outfits! As much as I love the dress, I don't have a little girl, so it wouldn't be fair to go in for it!

This is the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time. I LOVE YOU! I wish I had this dress in my size (as with many of your creations)! You really blow me away. I NEED this dress for my girls. BTW have you ever thought of making 2 of each dress so you can keep one? Your photos are also amazing!

OMG This is just BEAUTIFUL! I have 4 did you hear me 4 little girls who would love love LOVE to have this dress. They are stair step in sizes so we would use this for years to come...and then put it up for Grandchildren....this is just so precious...and by far a simple dress...Your work is just fab!!!

I kid you not, I actually GASPED when my blog reader opened up that first photo! That dress is a work of art and it will be a LUCKY little girl who gets to wear it...hope it's my 3-year-old! Forget the fairy princess costume! LOL I'll post tomorrow morning!

Kathleen, you have totally outdone yourself. I cannot believe the craftsmanship! My little girl is kind of petite, so I won't be lining, but not because it's not gorgeous- because it is- but because someone else would be able to use it right away, which would be so fun for them. But SERIOUSLY, I really am so impressed! Do you even get any sleep? Go out for ice cream and reward yourself! LOVE IT!

I have apsolutely no use for this, but I am going to tell my friends about it. This is just to die for. I don't know how in the world you could give it up. What costumes have you planned for the family?

I linked it! I love that movie too! The pictures are absolutely GORGEOUS!! Doesn't it make you want to buy a little villa and have handsome men playing lutes and psalterys playng love songs around you before you go pick fresh eggs and frolic with wooly little lambs?

This dress is unbelievable! I posted about it on my blog. I only wish I was ambitious enough to do something like this for my daughter for Halloween. Store-bought with some alterations will have to do for now!

YOu are amazingly creative and you should be working with some major label, or better yet start you own. You would make millions. It is great that you prolly know this and still stay at home and be an amazing mother to your beautiful girls, props to you my friend. =) I will have my fingers and toes crossed!!!

Girl, I cannot believe you are giving this away. I think you are now OFFICIALLY CRAZY!!!!! And as always, I hope I win - if begging and pleading will help ... PLEASE! Please, please, please. If making you feel sorry for me will help - I have 6 young kids, the younger two being girls that are 3 and 2. I don't have time to make them their costumes - don't you feel bad for me???? LOLOLOL, I know, I know - it's a totally random thing you do, but I thought it was all worth a shot.

Wow! You work is stunnng. If I don't win I'd love to have a go at creating a dress like this for my little girl one day. My Mum used to make great costumes for us. Unfortunately she used to cut up her old evening dresses for the fabric. I think I would rather have the evening dresses now. How do you do the skirt, the pinched fabric?

Unbelievable. Simply said. I saw the movie too and was thrilled at the visually stimulating overdose of beautiful dresses, sweets, decor of the 18th century. My family does 18th century reenacting in historical places, and my daughter would be the absolute belle of the ball in that piece. Crossing my fingers here.

My daughter and all my nieces love to play dress up. This would be the end all to be all of dress up outfits. My little one will have to grow into it, but come halloween next year she will be Queen for sure. It's a beauty!

I have three little girls that have been princesses of some sort for about 7 years in a row for Halloween. We were all going to be animals this year, but my 4 year-old would definitely give up her giraffe if we won THIS dress!! It's so beautiful!! And I did post about it on my blog :-)

What an absolutely gorgeous dress! I just finished one for Homecoming for one of my older daughters - I can't believe you are GIVING it away! My little one (who believes she really is a princess) would LOVE it.

This is just so absolutely wonderfully beautiful! You must be so very proud of how it turned out. Lily deserves to keep the dress for being such a good sport, dressing up and being so lovely in the photoshoot while she was under the weather. Congratuations on a truly gorgeous gown! Jen

I've seen your lovely creations before, but for one reason or other I've been shy about entering. Not this time! Your Marie-Therese gown is utterly breathtaking, really. Such an achievement. Your generosity is overwhelming, too. Thanks for sharing - just the pictures alone are wonderful. I've linked to your overall blog as well as this specific post, hope you don't mind that I borrowed your photo!

I love all of your things but this is simply breathtaking. I love it. I actually caught my breath when I checked your blog today. I cannot believe that you are giving this away, but since you are: I MUST HAVE IT. You are so inspiring. Keep it up, you are a gift.

I just tried link but apperently my blog is still being accused of being a Spam blog. My blog is locked until it can "be reviewed" and a human see I an a real person. I have the link waiting to publish.I would really love to win. My girls are 3 and 5 so the dress will fit at least one of them. The youngest wants to be "fancy, fancy" for Halloween. Not one fancy but 2 fancies (she corrected Daddy just today) so this dress would be perfect for her. They both adore dressing up, as they make many costume changes a day.I will publish the link as soon as blogger releases my blog. Can you tell I am a bit miffed. I have been waiting 3 days alread!!

I am astounded by your talent! It is absolutely amazing!! This has been one of my favorite pieces that you have done (And I love all that I have seen!). It is beautiful and so intricate! I don't think I have ever seen a costume so gorgeous! I wish we could dress up like this every day!Your daughter is absolutely beautiful!

Oh gosh oh golly gosh that is just truly gorgeous. If I was the lucky winner I havea little girl that would love that. Hannah she is nearly 3 and my neighbours daughter. I can see her in it now. Just beautiful. I shal link thisAndrea

WHOA! To say that dress is ABSOLUTELY stunning, doesn't seem to do it justice. There are no words! My niece, who I spoil rotten, as only an Auntie can...would fit into that dress, very soon. She loves to dress up. It's to the point that her Mother has to fight with her to wear normal everyday clothes. I of course encourage this. I'm a bad influence by nature...like the time my little cousin was upset when her big brother went bowling and she couldn't sit by him because they didn't make bowling shoes small enough for her to wear and street shoes were not allowed. I told her to take her piggy slippers and wear those. Hey, she was the hit of the bowling alley.Anyway, I'm off subject. I love your dress. I'm new to your blog. I just discovered it. Now I'm going to go explore your archive...just to see what other neat things you have created. Oh and I'm going to add a link from my blog.

OMGosh...OMGosh....I have 4 nieces who would love your dress...I will link you on my blog...that is so so generous of you to give this beautiful creatiion away to one of us....my fingers are super crossed! Thank you!

i always love seeing your creations but have never created a link because, well, i don't have children and don't really have any in my life at the moment so it would be grossly unfair to toss my name in the hat. but anyways! your dress today is so incredibly stunning that i found myself clicking on your 'create a link' button without even thinking about it. i was absolutely floored! and if for some reason my name winds up being drawn [which has never happened to me before], hm, i think you should go ahead and pick somebody else who would actually have an opportunity to dress a special little girl in a very special costume.

Hello! We just found you through Katanya's blog - and we are so glad we did! You are truley an artist! What beautiful costumes you create - and you have a charming model!! We'd love to enter, however we don't have any little girls in those sizes anymore! However, we'll be back - we love costumes, and yours are something else!!Karla & Karrie

Wow! I can't even imagine trying to make that dress! My brain can't even fathom the work and material that went into it!! Wow!I hope Lily feels better soon! Poor little one! Such a good sport to pose when not feeling well!

The rose choker is beautiful and perfect with the dress! Great job!!Linda

I'm practically speechless here....still reeling from the amazing dress. Wow-- first of all, I admire your ambition- you really went for it. The execution is something to be really proud of. All the details are stunning and clearly show so much painstaking work. I would love to win this for my daughter. My gosh, I don't know how you can bear to part with it.

OH MY!! I absolutely LOVE IT!! I can't believe you made this- WOW you're good!! My daughter has been on my lap while I've been checking everyone's blog and suddenly she became very interested when she say that dress! I'll link it right now!!

This is just beautiful! Amazing! I wouldn't let go of this dress. It is so stunning, you could make a fortune sell dresses and the like. Lucy's fairy dress looks pitiful next to your creation. I hope I win!!!!

Wow! I can't even imagine the amount of time this must have taken. Absolutely incredible!I would love to win it for our niece (with plans to get it back some day!! heehee!)Just beautiful. Linking to my less read blog.

I'm not even going to enter to win. Because I think you should KEEP IT!!! Seriously, how can you part with this? Maybe you should just enter yourself and draw your own name to win! (PS Yes I'm a total stranger but I think you're ridiculously talented!!!)

this is georgous! I made a link to both my blogs- i hope you can tell, because I want to be entered! I have 2 girls (ages 4 & 2) and they would love this! I don't know how you find the time! i love your blog!

i have been following your blog & this goes beyond amazing! i sew for my little girl too--but your skills far outshine mine! i also love to see the locations for your "photo shots"--so creative and always beautiful. link is done--please include me in this giveaway :)

I would almost want to hang this in a shadow box! It's so beautiful! I bow down in awe of your amazing talent!!! We would have wonderful use of it between my girls and all of their cousins. Amazing, simply amazing.

WOW!! I am speechless! This dress is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!My 2 daughters would LOVE this dress. This would be treasured. I am floored you are giving it away!! You have truly outdone yourself this time!!

Wow not only am I amazed that you could create something so intricate and full of detail, but that you continue to create these works of art! I can only imagine how much energy this takes from a person! I am in awe of your creativity and determination to continue to out do your self!! I bow down to you!

As an obsessive seamstress turned nursing student who no longer has time to make such elaborate, beautiful things I have to admit I am extremely jealous!! Beautiful beautiful work!! I can't believe you are giving it away! Wow!!Linking to my blog (tlufkin.blogspot.com) now!

Wow! You definitely have a gift. I would love to have this for my daughter! Looking at all of your posts is definitely motivating me to start looking at patterns for clothing for my own children! Thanks for the motivation.

Kathleen, I looked for a way to email you, but couldn't find it...I'd love to feature your work in my costumes post this week on my blog. Would it be okay if I used a couple of your pictures and linked to you? Just let me know. You can email me, or comment on my last post.Thanks my dear! I'd love to share your amazing talent with my readers!Becky

This is absolutely GORGEOUS!! Amazing and wonderful! I have no idea how you DO part with these creations!! I, like everyone else would LOVE to win this!! Not only would my daughter wear this for Halloween but it would be GREAT for my photography!! Can you picture all the little girl wearing this for photos?!?! Ahhhhhhh!!! Pick me!

This is absolutely breathtaking! You have such a talent! I WOULD LOVE this dress for my little girl! She's yet to get a costume for halloween! She's so girlie in every sense and would not only LOVE this for her costume, but also for "dress up" time.

I am amazed at the detail and time you put into this costume! It is simply~stunning~drop dead gorgeous~off the charts~Knock off the real deal! I would love to be able and send my grand-daughter out the door with this on for Halloween Treats! You my dear are magnificent! Memaw Vicki

I am with everyone else! I must have this dress! My daughter is such a girly girl (the first one isn't but she's too big for it anyways)! She would flip out over it! Plus, I run a daycare and it would be so much fun to let some of the girls use it for a photo shoot! Oh, I can picture the photo shoots now!! I did link to my blog already!!

Absolutely breathtaking!!!!! My oldest daughter is going to be Marie Antoinette for Halloween and I am SO crossing my fingers and toes that you pick me!!! My little Emmeline would be almost as cute as your Lily in your beautiful dress!!! I'm not above begging people, I still have FOUR MORE Halloween costumes to sew - I'm desperate!

BTW - I saw your NieNie button. Would you consider auctioning off a costume for her recovery fund?

Oh how I wish my little Zoe could have this to wear to our many Halloween obligations. She would also be the cutest one at my friends Halloween themed wedding. I'm sure she would steal the show in this adorable dress. You are so very talented.

Oh my goodness!!! Did you sleep at all the past couple of weeks! Amazing work, so detailed and extravagant. It amazes me that you give away hours and hours of work that could be sold for hundreds of dollars. Extremely generous, I'm sure it'll be hard to pack this up and see it go. I get so attached to the things I make. At least you know that whoever receives it will LOVE it!

When I saw this link on my friend's blog I clicked on it not knowing what to expect. WOW, when I saw the dress, there are no words. Completely speechless. I am in awe at your talent and capabilities and then that you would just give this away. Amazing!!! Oh, how I would love love love this for my two little girls. Simply breathtaking!

This dress is amazing! you have done a wonderful job. I posted a link And truly hope I win my coral would look so cute in this and she already has the curls to go with it! Thanks for all your time and sharing!

I really wish I had somewhere to post a link so I could enter to win...I have two daughters - the oldest is just now a 3T (and a slow grower!) so this would see much love and wearing out between the two. Regardless, you have crafted an unbelievably fine piece of wearable art and it has inspired me! Now, if only I were a gifted sewer :-)Brava!!!Melissa

Ok, I have to win this one! The dress turned out absolutely beautiful and would look wonderful on my grand-daugher. This is a dress to be cherished and handed down through generations. I am that kind of person. What a treasure this would be. I remember making my daughters wedding dress so I know all the work that goes into creating something so beautiful. You did a wonderful job on this one. I have confidence a wedding dress would be nothing after this one. Cheers! Am posting with link right now.

You have outdone yourself if that is possible! This dress is just BEAUTIFUL!! And how generous of you to put something that took sooo much work, as a giveaway!!! Thank you very much for the chance to win one of your fabulous creations!!I have posted the link!!

I am speechless. Speechless I say. I cannot believe the detail you put into that dress. It's amazing. If I can only win one thing in my life I want to win this! I obsessed over that movie {and about 6 or 7 books I read promptly after}

I am in tears at how beautiful this dress is!That gives me the same feeling i have when i walk down the isles of a good fabric store... just awe inspiring.I am a seamstress of 30ish yrs and am just .... simply speechless.i wish i could just see and touch it in person... just to admire it!My Ava would look Stunning in it, so i will enter... I could see many events to wear it too... and then a beautiful hope chest to store it in till my grandchildren can wear it...

WOW! I am amazed that you are giving this away. You either have a heart of gold or REALLY love to sew. It's beautiful. My three year old daughter would adore this...and then, my little one would be right behind her in another year or so!

wow. that is INCREDIBLE.... and that you could give it away.... SIGH. if ONLY i could have such sewing skills and such imagination!!! you are wildly talented and out of control generous to give away such a labor of love... you are going to make some little girl awfully happy!

I HAVE NO LITTLE GIRLS, SO I FEEL IT IS UNFAIR FOR ME TO ASK TO WIN. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT I THINK THE DRESS IS BEAUTIFUL! I KNOW OF SOME BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRLS THAT WOULD LOVE IT THOUGH.. SENDING THEM ON OVER

Wow, first visit to your blog and I see that gorgeous gown!! I have no girls, only boys but I live vicariously through my sister who has an adorable little girl and she would LOVE that gown. First time linking so I am doing it correctly!